With Arms Wide Open
by 27dayz
Summary: songfic. James wanted so deperately to give Harry the best, but wasn't given the chance to make good on his promises.


AN: this is a very sad songfic about James and Harry.

Disclaimer: If i owned Harry Potter, i wouldn't have let Voldemort and company kill Lily, James, and Sirius. I dont own With Arms Wide Open by creed either, though it is such a good song.

**With Arms Wide Open**

_   
_James Potter staggered up his front walk, looking much older than his nineteen years. He was exhausted and could hardly wait to take a warm shower and collapse into bed. For a full five days, he had been tailing various Death-Eaters, trying to get as much information from their conversations as possible. He had taken what little information he received straight to Albus Dumbledore, possibly the greatest wizard of the age. Albus had taken in all of the information he gathered and then promptly told him to go straight home. He had never failed to heed Albus's advice and today was no different. Already contemplating how long he should sleep for, he opened the front door. He barely closed it when his wife of a year attached herself to his neck.

"Lily, y-your strangling me!" he gasped. She loosened her grip and proceeded to kiss him.

"Oh, James...I thought..." she didn't need to finish. With people vanishing left and right, he knew she must have assumed the worst.

"It's okay, Lily. I'm here. I'm okay," he said softly, looking into her tear-filled eyes. The eyes he had fallen in love with. Beautiful emerald green eyes. He kissed her forehead and whispered the words "I love you."

"I love you, too," she said, standing on her tip-toes to kiss him. He responded, but with about half as much effort as he normally would have. When the kiss ended, he looked longingly up the stairs where the four-poster bed had his name written all over it.

"I'm exhausted, Lily. I think I'm going to go up to bed," he said, kissing her softly.

"Wait, James. There's something I need to tell you," she started. She looked extremely nervous and he decided that the bed could wait a moment or two.

"What is it?" he asked seriously.

_Well, I just heard the news today_

_It seems my life is gonna change_

"I'm pregnant, James. We're going to have a baby," she said softly, allowing him time to comprehend what she just said. She knew that even if he was fully awake, he would need time for these words to penetrate his thick skull. And she was right. He stood there for a full minute, motionless until he spoke.

"You're sure?"

"Positive," she answered. For a moment it looked like he was going to faint. Then suddenly James broke into a smile and picked Lily up and twirled her around in the air, all feelings of exhaustion vanished.

"I'm gonna be a daddy!" he exclaimed, kissing her.

"James, put me down!" she demanded through her giggles.

"You heard your wife, Prongs. Besides, you're making us dizzy," Remus Lupin laughed. James looked towards the kitchen doorway and saw his three best friends grinning at the pair of them. He smiled and set Lily on her feet.

"I suppose you three knew about this?" he asked.

"Yeah. Lily was so worried about you, it came out in gibberish the first time we heard about it," Sirius Black remarked as he walked over and slapped James on the back, "Congratulations, Prongsie."

"Yeah, congratulations, James," Remus said sincerely.

"Definitely," Peter Pettigrew grinned.

"Thanks, guys. Now, drinks anyone?" he asked as he picked Lily up again and carried her to the kitchen.

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_I closed my eyes, begin to pray   
Then tears of joy stream down my face   
_

Later that night, 3:00 o'clock in the morning to be exact, the Marauders and Lily ended their celebrations due to the fact that all of them were ready to drop dead. Lily was getting ready for bed while James, freshly showered, knelt beside his bed and prayed.

"Thank you for everything you've given to me. I am forever grateful and will never forget the gifts you've given to me. My best friends who are forever true, my beautiful wife, and the baby that will soon come into this world. I want to be a good daddy. I want to be there for my baby. Please, let me and Lily survive this war for our child. Please. Amen," he ended as tears fell down his cheeks. He couldn't stop them even if he wanted to.

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_With arms wide open   
Under the sunlight   
Welcome to this place   
I'll show you everything   
With arms wide open _

The summer heat was merciless as it beat down on seven people trying to keep cool on Hogwarts grounds. James, Sirius, Remus, and Peter had taken to swimming in the lake while Lily and Professors Dumbledore and McGonagall watched their antics from the shade of a lone beech tree, talking about nothing in particular and laughing as James and Sirius pulled Peter under the water. Suddenly Lily gasped as a sharp pain chorused through her swollen abdomen.

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James, Sirius, Remus, Peter, Albus, and Minerva were all waiting anxiously in the waiting room of St. Mungos, but none were more agitated than James. He paced in front of the door, water dripping from his hair wherever he went and a towel draped over his shoulders. Not being allowed to be with Lily while she was in labour was more than he could take.

"James, sit down. You're wearing a groove in the floor," Sirius ordered. James sat, but he was extremely antsy.

"What are you so worried about, my boy? They will be fine," Albus tried. James nodded, but his godfather's words did not alleviate his fears. What if he messed up? What if he wasn't a good father? Was he really ready to be someone's parent?

_Well I don't know if I'm ready   
To be the man I have to be _

"Mr. Potter?" a healer suddenly came up to them. James bolted to his feet. The other five raised as well, giving him moral support.

"How is she? And the baby? Are they alright?" he asked hurriedly.

"They are both fine, Mr. Potter. Congratulations. It's a boy. You can go in now," the healer smiled gently. She couldn't even begin to count the number of fathers that asked those questions. After receiving reassuring nods from his best friends and his godparents, he followed the healer to the delivery room.

_I'll take a breath, take her by my side   
We stand in awe, we've created life _

He took a deep breath and opened the door to reveal his wife, laying on a hospital bed, tired, but smiling, and most importantly, holding a baby nestled in a blue blanket.

"Hey. How are you?" he asked, sitting beside her on the bed, looking at their creation. The baby already had a head of messy jet-black hair and had his wide green eyes fixed on James. He was perfect.

"I'm fine," she answered dismissively, "Do you want to hold your son?"

James was near tears as he took the little baby in his arms, holding him close. How could you love someone you just met so much?

"He's perfect," James breathed, his tears were now falling freely.

"I know. We still have to come up with a name," Lily told him, tears now filled her eyes.

"How about Harry? After your father?" James asked, staring into his son's eyes that screamed Lily and Harry Evans. Lily smiled as she spoke.

"Harry James Potter. I like it."

"Me too."

Just then there was a soft knock on the door and then five of their closest friends entered the room.

"Sorry to interrupt, but Sirius got a little impatient," Remus grinned apologetically as Sirius crossed over to where James was holding Harry.

"I wasn't the only one, Remus," Sirius said, grinning.

"It's okay, you guys. Besides, I'm sure Harry would like to meet the people who are going to spoil him rotten," Lily said, motioning them all closer.

"Blimey, that kid has a lot of hair!" Peter exclaimed, earning him a glare from James.

"I'm honestly not surprised. When James was born, he had a mess of hair, too. His mother was already giving him a haircut when he was a week old," Minerva commented.

"Yes. How Daniel and Rose would have loved to see their grandson," Albus smiled grimly. James's parents had died a year ago at the hands of Lord Voldemort and his supporters.

"Yeah, they would've," James confirmed, blinking back more tears.

"Can I hold him?" Sirius pleaded. James nodded and carefully passed Harry to his best friend, while the proud parents looked on.

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A week later James sat on the deck with little Harry in his arms, enjoying the sunlight. Harry was pretty good as far as babies go. He was very quiet, just the opposite of James.

_With arms wide open   
Under the sunlight   
Welcome to this place   
I'll show you everything   
With arms wide open   
Now everything has changed   
I'll show you love   
I'll show you everything   
With arms wide open   
_

"You know what, Harry? I think, I'm getting the hang of this whole dad thing. I mean, it's a whole lot easier than I expected. I guess it'll probably get harder as you grow up, though. I'm not going to be able to protect you from every bad thing in this world forever. We're not getting any closer to vanquishing Voldemort and while there is good in this world, there will always be evil. Albus told me that. He's a very wise man, Harry. You're going to learn a lot from him someday. He always going to do what he thinks is right, and I can guarantee you I will always do what I think is right, too. I just want you to promise me one thing, Harry. I want you to promise me that you'll never go over to that dark-side. Think you can do that for me, Little man?" James paused as Harry stared up at him and smiled.

"I know you can do that, Harry. And as long as I'm here, I will protect you from everything. I love you and your mother more than anything else in this world," James pledged.

"And I'm sure Harry and I feel the same way, Darling. We love you, too," Lily sighed from behind him, making him jump slightly.

"Don't do that!" he protested, turning around in his seat.

"I've got to return the favour sometime," she smiled and kissed him gently. They stood there in silence, looking over their yard which was oddly enough shaped like a Quidditch stadium. (imagine that!)

"One day, I'm going to teach him how to fly, and how to get around the Hogwarts staff, and how to pull pranks, and..."

"Slow down, James. He's only a week old," Lily giggled exasperated.

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James was restless. He paced around the room, not only making Lily nervous, but little Harry as well. The tiny tot was hardly older than a year and could sense his father's anxiety.

"Daddy?" the little boy asked in a small voice. James looked at his wife and son on the couch and found himself on the receiving end of one of Lily's death glares.

"James Potter, what on Earth is the matter with you? You're scaring Harry half to death!" Lily hissed, looking pointedly at the boy in her arms.

"I-I can't explain it...I just have a bad feeling, like something's going to happen," he tried to hide the tremor in his voice.

"It's okay, James. Nothing is going to happen. We're safe here. Peter would never betray us," she tried to calm him down, but it didn't work.

"I can't help it. This feeling is hard to explain," he tried.

"James-"

"I know, Lily. It's just...if something does happen, can you promise me two things?" he asked, turning to sit next to Harry and Lily. Harry crawled from his mother to his father in an instant.

_If I had just one wish   
Only one demand   
I hope he's not like me   
I hope he understands   
That he can take this life   
And hold it by the hand   
And he can greet the world   
With arms wide open... _

"What?" she asked.

"If something does happen to me, could you make sure that he doesn't grow up to be as stupid as I was when I was at Hogwarts?" James asked, rumpling Harry's hair.

"That was my original intent. And the second?" she asked, flattening Harry's hair.

"Protect him, no matter what. I'll die for the two of you if I have to, Lils. You know I would. If it does come to that, please tell him that I loved him and that he knows that if he can't hold my hand, then he can always depend on you," he pleaded.

"James, you're being ridiculous. You are going to survive this war, James Potter," she stated, more to reassure herself then anything.

"If I don't, I don't want my wife and son up there with me!" he said, pointing to the ceiling.

"James, you won't die. We won't die. Harry won't die," she said with such finality, that he wanted to believe her and yet...

"I love you. Both of you," he added, bringing both Lily and Harry close to him. They held each other for a long time, until the silence was broken by a noise outside.

"What was that?" Lily asked. James got up and looked out the window. He paled.

"Lily, take Harry and go! It's Him! Go! Run! I'll hold him off-" his screams of panic were drowned out by the door breaking. He drew his wand, ready for battle. He heard Lily running deeper into the house. He could run after them, but he knew that Voldemort would find them eventually. That was the cowards way out. He was no coward. He had to give Lily time.

"Potter! Get out of the way!" the darkest wizard of the age hissed at him.

"Never! I will never let you anywhere near my wife and son! Not while I am still breathing!" James shouted.

"I'll hold you to that, Potter!" Voldemort raised his wand as James raised his. They both fired their spells, but Voldemort wasn't playing games.

Even as speeding death rushed towards him, James prayed that his son would live to greet the world with arms wide open.

_With arms wide open   
Under the sunlight   
Welcome to this place   
I'll show you everything   
With arms wide open   
Now everything has changed   
I'll show you love   
I'll show you everything   
With arms wide open _

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James would now be condemned to watch, hand-in-hand with his wife, as Harry James Potter stood in the middle of a battleground, staring upwards as sunlight shone through the clouds, crying silently as he spread his arms wide open, over the results of a battle that had once dominated his world.

_Wide open..._

AN: it's so sad!!!!!!!!!!!! They had hopes and dreams and everything! sobs...Please R&R and make me feel better!_   
_


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